Terrova/Ram Mount

[Kevin23]

Originally Posted by pale ryder

Unless the boat flexes, there is no need for a support on a Terrova.
In rough water or trailering slide the depth collar all the way down so the Terrova can not accidentally deploy. Nothing else is needed.

And that is why I bought the RAM mount, so I wouldn't have to mess with that darn collar every time! Loosen a wing screw and she is ready to deploy, then tighten the wing to stow. A LOT easier than messing with the sticky collar.

[REW]

A really simple solution is to use a quick release mount on the motor.

As you come in for the final docking of the day, reach up, pop the release on the mount - slip the motor off and lay it on the floor in the center of the boat.

Then, after getting the boat out of the water and on the trailer, just button your boat cover down nice and snug without having to worry about any pockets, holes or projections for a trolling motor.

It takes roughly 5 seconds to remove the motor and another 5 seconds to put it back on the mount.

Be safe

[Wyo307]

Sometimes a picture (or 3) is worth a 1000 words

[MadMan]

Boom! Andersaki and the post ^above has your back.

I have a Ram Mount for mine, fastened off the rail on a 186 Tyee GL.
But my Lund Cover goes over everything.

[TackleJunky]

Originally Posted by Wyo307

Sometimes a picture (or 3) is worth a 1000 words

Now that's what I'm talking about right there. If I get a ram mount it's off to the canvas shop just like this!

[Ricky Spanish]

To each their own, but I would rather deal with a "sticky collar", or just loop a dock line under the head and down to a cleat to keep it from deploying. I think if MK wanted that head supported, you wouldn't need to get it from RAM. With that mount attached, you are transferring way more shock to the head than by just letting the shaft flex a bit while trailering or in a rough chop. Just my .02.

[Kevin23]

Originally Posted by Ricky Spanish

To each their own, but I would rather deal with a "sticky collar", or just loop a dock line under the head and down to a cleat to keep it from deploying. I think if MK wanted that head supported, you wouldn't need to get it from RAM. With that mount attached, you are transferring way more shock to the head than by just letting the shaft flex a bit while trailering or in a rough chop. Just my .02.

There shouldn't be any shock to the head as the head is now fixed to the boat. The shock would be distributed across the boat and most likely be focused on whatever flexes.. The head won't move so no there would be no transfer of energy and thus no "shock". The shock comes when the shaft flexes and the head moves one way and then the shaft flexes back and the head is quickly stopped and moved the other direction. If one was to mount the ram say 2 feet or so from the head unit, that would put a tremendous shock on the head, but since its advised to mount it right next to the head unit- there would be no transfer of energy. Using a rope would be an absolutely terrible idea and would put more shock on the head than just letting the shaft bounce.

[Ricky Spanish]

Sorry to hijack the thread. Maybe someone can point me to another thread, but I don't understand. I can admit when I'm wrong.

Does the RAM have rubber bushings, spring, or piston to dissipate the energy? The way I'm thinking, vibration travels through the hull, up the RAM mount, and into the head. Without the mount, it has to travel all the way up the shaft, losing energy as it goes. I'm thinking of it this way, jump down off your tailgate without flexing your knees when landing vs. flexing them when you land. My Terrova barely moves while trailering, and in rough water, but I don't tend to go "banging around" in a chop.

Poorly worded on my part, but the rope would be slack, just there in the event your unit deployed itself due to a bump. Basically, serving the same purpose as the safety chains on a trailer. Although, given my lack of understanding as referenced in my previous point, a taught rope would seem to transfer less energy than a stiff mount, so I guess I missed your point there, too.

Another apology if I come off as argumentative. Just not getting it.

Edit: Your seat post is fixed to the boat. Plenty of shock transfers from the boat to the occupants through that post. Why doesn't the RAM do the same thing?

[Kevin23]

Originally Posted by Ricky Spanish

Sorry to hijack the thread. Maybe someone can point me to another thread, but I don't understand. I can admit when I'm wrong.

Does the RAM have rubber bushings, spring, or piston to dissipate the energy? The way I'm thinking, vibration travels through the hull, up the RAM mount, and into the head. Without the mount, it has to travel all the way up the shaft, losing energy as it goes. I'm thinking of it this way, jump down off your tailgate without flexing your knees when landing vs. flexing them when you land. My Terrova barely moves while trailering, and in rough water, but I don't tend to go "banging around" in a chop.

Poorly worded on my part, but the rope would be slack, just there in the event your unit deployed itself due to a bump. Basically, serving the same purpose as the safety chains on a trailer. Although, given my lack of understanding as referenced in my previous point, a taught rope would seem to transfer less energy than a stiff mount, so I guess I missed your point there, too.

Another apology if I come off as argumentative. Just not getting it.

Edit: Your seat post is fixed to the boat. Plenty of shock transfers from the boat to the occupants through that post. Why doesn't the RAM do the same thing?

I'm not taking it as argumentative, and please don't take my posts as such either.. Just having a conversation is all.

To have a "shock" effect, something has to move at the end of the line. Your seat analogy is PERFECT! You feel the shock because your body is on top of the seat and your body moves. If you were to videotape it and slow it down to frame by frame you would see the boat bump happen, the energy go up the pedestal (probably vibrate a tiny bit since it is a loose fit in the floor), then see the energy hit your rump and your rump move up slightly. When your rump leaves the chair then touches it again, that is the shock you feel. The ram mount is probably 99% solid when tightened down, there is no springs or anything to allow for movement so it pretty much bolts your head unit to the side of the hull. There is nothing to allow the head to move, thus no shock is transferred. Inside the head, the control board is held into place firmly so that won't move either (probably not a 100% solid attachment so maybe some slight vibration might happen in there, but definitely no shock)


A perfect analogy (I love analogies) is a bobblehead mounted on your dashboard. With every bump the head moves because it is at the end of the line so to speak. The shock goes through your truck and up the bobblehead until it reaches the end which is on a spring so it moves. If you were to superglue that head so it couldn't bobble (same as putting a ram mount on a trolling motor), nothing would be able to move thus no (or very very little) shock would be on the head.

Ever swing a metal baseball bat into something hard as a kid? Remember your hands stinging like you stuck it into a bucket of wasps? That's because the shock transferred up the bat and into whatever moved (your hands). If you held that bat with all your might and hit it again, it probably didn't hurt nearly as bad (if any) because the energy is now transferred through your whole body instead of just your hands. That is how transfer of energy works. The RAM mount lets the whole hull dissipate the energy instead of focusing it at the moving head of the motor.

No, the RAM mount won't completely dissipate shock, but it will GREATLY reduce it to almost nothing by essentially making the trolling motor head part of the hull.

[Kevin23]

Now before it goes to far, let me say that i don't think shock will hurt a trolling motor. Minn Kota engineered that motor and didn't include a bracket to hold the head because it is not needed. But since someone might be worried about the shock effect on the head, the RAM would certainly help with that.

Personally, I have it for the main reason of not having to mess with the depth collar anymore. Secondary reason is so its not annoying seeing it bounce while driving on the rough roads. I don't think it is needed in the least bit, and if my TM had a better locking mechanism that made it impossible to auto deploy, I probably wouldn't be using the RAM.

Max Wilson posted a picture of what happened when his deployed last summer. All he had left was a head with wires and a base. I have it on my phone, I'll try to post it later. I'd really like to avoid that happening!